September 16, 2025 STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS Reject Violence: Defend Debate, Protect Democracy Disagreement should invite debate – not violence. Intimidation, dehumanization and threats create the conditions for physical attacks. Silencing and demonizing opposing views have become normalized. The risks are great for our entire society […]
Religious Ritual Requires of us Ethical Behavior This week’s parasha opens with the bringing of first fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple and the statement made by the person who brings them. That statement is what is read and expounded at the beginning of the Passover Haggadah, where the verses serve to summarize the history of […]
September 9, 2025 STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS ‘Resistance’ Never Justifies Murdering Civilians A morning rush hour in Jerusalem turned into carnage when two Palestinian terrorists from the West Bank opened fire at a busy bus stop. In less than a minute, six Israelis were murdered and more than a dozen […]
A Revolution In Mentality … “When you come into the land …” — The transition from wandering in the wilderness to life in a settled land requires a change in lifestyle and in outlook. Moving from the life of a persecuted minority to that of an independent people on our own land requires a revolution […]
September 3, 2025 STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS Genocide Lies Against Israel Distort Truth and Endanger Jews The accusation of genocide against the Jewish state is being used as a moral weapon. It is not just a false legal claim – the explosive yet deceptive charge is […]
Pursuing Justice … During War Anyone who has become engaged to a woman but not yet married her, or who has built a house but not yet moved into it, or who has planted a vineyard but not yet harvested even the first grapes, or even anyone too timid to fight — all of these […]
August 26, 2025 STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS Demonization, Exclusion and Hate: The True Face of BDS The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement is dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish state – and by extension, fuels attacks on Jews everywhere. The anti-Israel movement also has branded […]
Tikkun Ha’adam – Fixing Ourselves As we enter a 40-day period of introspection that culminates with Yom Kippur, we should look inward towards our soul, before we try to fix the world, our country and our families. Rav Yitz Greenberg describes this process as tikkun haadam, the fixing of ourselves. This process is based on […]
August 19, 2025 STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS When Schools Flunk the Basics: Keeping Jews Safe Many Jewish students and staff – both at K-12 schools and on university campuses – were targets of threats, intimidation and violence since Oct. 7, 2023 – leading to lawsuits, funding […]
The Meaning of Affliction: Our Footprints in the Sand Our path right now is not an easy one, and no light is yet visible on the horizon. Is there a point, a purpose to all the pain and misery? Is there a meaning to this war, to the horrific losses? In this week’s Torah portion, […]